Method and apparatus for presenting gamer performance at a social network

ABSTRACT

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, receiving at a computer device a plurality of stimulus signals generated by one or more gaming accessory devices of a gamer controlling a gaming application, generating a plurality of gaming stimulations based on the plurality of stimulus signals, generating a plurality of gaming action results from the gaming application responsive to the plurality of gaming stimulations, combining the plurality of gaming action results and the plurality of gaming stimulations to generate a plurality of hardware statistics associated with the gamer, and transmitting to a social network the plurality of hardware statistics associated with the gamer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.17/488,547, filed Sep. 29, 2021, pending, which is a continuation ofU.S. application Ser. No. 16/518,422, filed Jul. 22, 2019, now U.S. Pat.No. 11,161,036, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/034,943, filed Jul. 13, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,384,121, which isa continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/634,855, filed Jun. 27,2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,046,237, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 14/697,598, filed Apr. 27, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No.9,731,199, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/456,311, filed Apr. 26, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,044,683. Allsections of the aforementioned applications and patents are incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to a method and apparatus forpresenting gamer performance at a social network.

BACKGROUND

It is common today for gamers to utilize more than one gaming accessory.This is especially true of gamers who play on-line games or competitivegames in a team or individual configuration. Gamers can have at theirdisposal accessories such as a keyboard, a general-purpose gaming pad, amouse, a gaming console controller, a headset with a built-in microphoneto communicate with other players, a joystick, a computer console, orother common gaming accessories.

A gamer can frequently use a combination of these accessories in onegame (e.g., headset, a keyboard, and mouse). Efficient management andutilization of these accessories can frequently impact a gamer's abilityto compete.

Accessory management can have utility in other disciplines which may notrelate to gaming applications. Efficient use of accessories in theseother disciplines can be important to other users.

Gamers frequently desire to share gaming experiences, information, andcommentary with other gamers. The performance of gamers and theaccessories they use during game play are a topic of interest to gamers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a Graphical User Interface(GUI) generated by an Accessory Management Software (AMS) applicationaccording to the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2-3 depict illustrative embodiments for communicatively coupling agaming controller to a computing device;

FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication device;

FIGS. 5-7 depict methods describing illustrative embodiments of the AMSapplication;

FIG. 8 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a system operating at leastin part according to the methods of FIGS. 5-7 ;

FIG. 9 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication flowdiagram utilized by the system of FIG. 12 ;

FIG. 10 depicts an illustrative embodiment for highlighting functions ofan accessory;

FIGS. 11-14 depict illustrative embodiments for presenting performancesof gamers;

FIG. 15 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a computer system foracquiring gamer hardware information for multiple devices by way of theAMS application;

FIG. 16 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a gamer hardwarestatistics social network;

FIGS. 17-18 depict illustrative examples of gamer hardware statisticsand performance factors;

FIG. 19 depicts illustrative embodiments of a method operating inportions of the systems described in FIGS. 1-17 ; and

FIG. 20 depicts an illustrative diagrammatic representation of a machinein the form of a computer system within which a set of instructions,when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject disclosure describes, among other things, illustrativeembodiments for collecting, processing, cataloguing and presentingperformances of gamers and gaming accessories via a social network.Other embodiments are contemplated by the subject disclosure.

One embodiment of the present disclosure can entail a computer-readablestorage medium having computer instructions, which when executed by atleast one processor, cause the at least one processor to performoperations including facilitating establishment of a social network of aplurality of members, receiving a plurality of hardware statisticsassociated with a plurality of gamers, wherein the plurality of hardwarestatistics comprise a plurality of gaming stimulations generated by aplurality of gaming accessory devices of the plurality of gamers thatcontrol a gaming application and a plurality of gaming action resultsgenerated by the gaming application responsive to the gaming applicationprocessing the plurality of gaming stimulations, correlating thereceived plurality of gaming stimulations and the plurality of gamingaction results to generate a plurality of performance factors associatedwith the plurality of garners, combining the plurality of hardwarestatistics and the plurality of performance factors to generate aplurality of hardware profiles associated with the plurality of garners,and presenting at least one hardware profile of the plurality ofhardware profiles to at least a portion of the plurality of members ofthe social network.

One embodiment of the present disclosure can entail a device having amemory for storing computer instructions, and a processor coupled to thememory. When executing the computer instructions, the processor canperform operations including facilitating establishment of a socialnetwork of a plurality of members, receiving a plurality of hardwarestatistics associated with a plurality of garners, wherein the pluralityof hardware statistics comprise a plurality of gaming stimulationsgenerated by a plurality of gaming accessory devices of the plurality ofgarners that control a gaming application and a plurality of gamingaction results generated by the gaming application responsive to thegaming application processing the plurality of gaming stimulations, andpresenting at least a portion of the hardware statistics to at least aportion of the members of the social network.

One embodiment of the present disclosure can entail a method forreceiving at a computer device a plurality of stimulus signals generatedby one or more gaming accessory devices of a garner controlling a gamingapplication, generating a plurality of gaming stimulations based on theplurality of stimulus signals, generating a plurality of gaming actionresults from the gaming application responsive to the plurality ofgaming stimulations, combining the plurality of gaming action resultsand the plurality of gaming stimulations to generate a plurality ofhardware statistics associated with the garner, and transmitting to asocial network the plurality of hardware statistics associated with thegarner.

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a Graphical User Interface(GUI) generated by an Accessory Management Software (AMS) applicationaccording to the present disclosure. The AMS application can be executedby a computing device such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, aserver, a mainframe computer, a gaming console, a gaming accessory, orcombinations or portions thereof. The AMS application can also beexecuted by portable computing devices (with computing resources) suchas a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, or a media player(such as an iPOD™). It is contemplated that the AMS application can beexecuted by any device with suitable computing resources.

FIG. 2 illustrates a number of embodiments for utilizing a wirelessdongle 203 with gaming controller 115 or a gaming console (hereinreferred to as gaming console 206). In the illustration of FIG. 2 , theUSB portion of the dongle 203 can be physically engaged with the gamingcontroller 115 or the gaming console 206. The dongle 203 in either ofthese configurations can facilitate wireless communications 204 betweenthe gaming controller 115 and the gaming console 206 (e.g., WiFi,Bluetooth, ZigBee, or proprietary protocol). It is contemplated thatfunctions of the dongle 203 can in whole or in part be an integral partof the gaming controller 115 or the gaming console 206. It is alsocontemplated that the AMS application can in whole or in part beexecuted by computing resources of the dongle 203.

In one embodiment, the gaming controller 115 can be tethered to acomputer computing device such as the gaming console 206 by a cable(e.g., USB cable) as shown in FIG. 3 to provide a means of communicationless susceptible to electromagnetic interference or other sources ofwireless interference. In one embodiment, the gaming controller 115 andthe gaming console 206 can have an integrated wireless interface forwireless communications therebetween. It is contemplated that the AMSapplication can in whole or in part be executed by computing resourcesof the gaming controller 115, the gaming console 206, or combinationsthereof.

FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication device 400.Communication device 400 can serve in whole or in part as anillustrative embodiment of the devices depicted in FIGS. 1-3 . Thecommunication device 400 can comprise a wireline and/or wirelesstransceiver 402 (herein transceiver 402), a user interface (UI) 404, apower supply 414, a proximity sensor 416, a motion sensor 418, anorientation sensor 420, and a controller 406 for managing operationsthereof. The transceiver 402 can support short-range or long-rangewireless access technologies such as Bluetooth, WiFi, Digital EnhancedCordless Telecommunications (DECT), or cellular communicationtechnologies, just to mention a few. Cellular technologies can include,for example, CDMA-1X, UMTS/HSDPA, GSM/GPRS, TDMA/EDGE, EV/DO, WiMAX,software defined radio (SDR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), as well asother next generation wireless communication technologies as they arise.The transceiver 402 can also be adapted to support circuit-switchedwireline access technologies (such as PSTN), packet-switched wirelineaccess technologies (such as TCP/IP, VoIP, etc.), and combinationsthereof.

The UI 404 can include a depressible or touch-sensitive keypad 408coupled to a navigation mechanism such as a roller ball, a joystick, amouse, or a navigation disk for manipulating operations of thecommunication device 400. The keypad 408 can be an integral part of ahousing assembly of the communication device 400 or an independentdevice operably coupled thereto by a tethered wireline interface (suchas a USB cable) or a wireless interface supporting for exampleBluetooth. The keypad 408 can represent a numeric keypad, and/or aQWERTY keypad with alphanumeric keys. The UI 404 can further include adisplay 410 such as monochrome or color LCD (Liquid Crystal Display),OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) or other suitable display technologyfor conveying images to an end user of the communication device 400.

In an embodiment where the display 410 is touch-sensitive, a portion orall of the keypad 408 can be presented by way of the display 410 withnavigation features (e.g., an iPad™, iPhone™, or Android™ phone ortablet). As a touch screen display, the communication device 400 can beadapted to present a user interface with graphical user interface (GUI)elements that can be selected by a user with a touch of a finger. Thetouch screen display 410 can be equipped with capacitive, resistive orother forms of sensing technology to detect how much surface area of auser's finger has been placed on a portion of the touch screen display.This sensing information can be used to control the manipulation of theGUI elements.

The UI 404 can also include an audio system 412 that utilizes commonaudio technology for conveying low volume audio (such as audio heardonly in the proximity of a human ear) and high-volume audio (such asspeakerphone for hands free operation, stereo or surround sound system).The audio system 412 can further include a microphone for receivingaudible signals of an end user. The audio system 412 can also be usedfor voice recognition applications. The UI 404 can further include animage sensor 413 such as a charged coupled device (CCD) camera forcapturing still or moving images and performing image recognitiontherefrom.

The power supply 414 can utilize common power management technologiessuch as replaceable or rechargeable batteries, supply regulationtechnologies, and charging system technologies for supplying energy tothe components of the communication device 400 to facilitate long-rangeor short-range portable applications. Alternatively, the charging systemcan utilize external power sources such as DC power supplied over aphysical interface such as a USB port or by way of a power cord attachedto a transformer that converts AC to DC power.

The proximity sensor 416 can utilize proximity sensing technology suchas an electromagnetic sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor,an image sensor or combinations thereof. The motion sensor 418 canutilize motion sensing technology such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope,or other suitable motion sensing technology to detect movement of thecommunication device 400 in three-dimensional space. The orientationsensor 420 can utilize orientation sensing technology such as amagnetometer to detect the orientation of the communication device 400(North, South, West, East, combined orientations thereof in degrees,minutes, or other suitable orientation metrics).

The communication device 400 can use the transceiver 402 to alsodetermine a proximity to a cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, or other wirelessaccess points by common sensing techniques such as utilizing a receivedsignal strength indicator (RSSI) and/or a signal time of arrival (TOA)or time of flight (TOF). The controller 406 can utilize computingtechnologies such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP),and/or a video processor with associated storage memory such as Flash,ROM, RAM, SRAM, DRAM or other storage technologies.

Other components not shown in FIG. 4 are contemplated by the presentdisclosure. For instance, the communication device 400 can include areset button (not shown). The reset button can be used to reset thecontroller 406 of the communication device 400. In yet anotherembodiment, the communication device 400 can also include a factorydefault setting button positioned below a small hole in a housingassembly of the communication device 400 to force the communicationdevice 400 to re-establish factory settings. In this embodiment, a usercan use a protruding object such as a pen or paper clip tip to reachinto the hole and depress the default setting button.

The communication device 400 as described herein can operate with moreor less components described in FIG. 4 to accommodate the implementationof the devices described by the present disclosure. These variantembodiments are contemplated by the present disclosure.

FIGS. 5-7 depict methods 500-700 describing illustrative embodiments ofthe AMS application. Method 500 can begin with step 502 in which the AMSapplication is invoked in a computing device. The computing device canbe a remote server (not shown), the gaming console 206 of FIGS. 2-3 , orany other computing device with suitable computing resources. Theinvocation step can result from a user selection of the AMS applicationfrom a menu or iconic symbol presented on a desktop of the computingdevice by an operating system (OS) managing operations thereof. In step504, the AMS application can detect by way of drivers in the OS aplurality of operationally distinct accessories communicatively coupledto the computing device. The accessories can be coupled to the computingdevice by a tethered interface (e.g., USB cable), a wireless interface(e.g., Bluetooth or Wireless Fidelity—WiFi), or combinations thereof.

In the present context, an accessory can represent any type of devicewhich can be communicatively coupled to the computing device (or anintegral part of the computing device), and which can control aspects ofthe OS and/or a software application operating in the computing device.An accessory can represent for example a keyboard, a touch screendisplay, a gaming pad, a gaming controller, a mouse, a joystick, amicrophone, or a headset with a microphone—just to mention a few.

In step 506, the AMS application presents a GUI 101 such as depicted inFIG. 1 with operationally distinct accessories such as a keyboard 108,and a gaming controller 115. The GUI 101 presents the accessories108-116 in a scrollable section 117. One or more accessories can beselected by a user with a mouse pointer. In this illustration, thekeyboard 108 and the gaming controller 115 were selected forcustomization. Upon selecting the keyboard 108 and the gaming controller115 from the scrollable window of section 117, the AMS applicationpresents the keyboard 108 and the gaming controller 115 in split windows118, 120, respectively, to assist the user during the customizationprocess.

In step 508, the AMS application can be programmed to detect auser-selection of a particular software application such as a game. Thisstep can be the result of the user entering in a Quick Search field 160the name of a gaming application (e.g., World of Warcraft™ or WoW). Uponidentifying a gaming application, the AMS application can retrieve instep 510 from a remote or local database gaming application actionswhich can be presented in a scrollable section 139 of the GUIrepresented as “Actions” 130. The actions can be tactical actions 132,communication actions 134, menu actions 136, and movement actions 138which can be used to invoke and manage features of the gamingapplication.

The actions presented descriptively in section 130 of the GUI canrepresent a sequence of accessory input functions which a user canstimulate by button depressions, navigation or speech. For example,depressing the left button on the mouse 110 can represent the tacticalaction “Reload”, while the simultaneous keyboard depressions “Ctrl A”can represent the tactical action “Melee Attack”. For ease of use, the“Actions” 130 section of the GUI is presented descriptively rather thanby a description of the input function(s) of a particular accessory.

Any one of the Actions 130 can be associated with one or more inputfunctions of the accessories being customized in windows 118 and 120 byway of a drag and drop action or other customization options. Forinstance, a user can select a “Melee Attack” by placing a mouse pointer133 over an iconic symbol associated with this action. Upon doing so,the symbol can be highlighted to indicate to the user that the icon isselectable. At this point, the user can select the icon by holding theleft mouse button and drag the symbol to any of the input functions(e.g., buttons) of the keyboard 108 or selectable options of the gamingcontroller 115 to make an association with an input function of one ofthese accessories. Actions of one accessory can also be associated withanother accessory that is of a different category. For example, keydepressions “Ctrl A” of the key board 108 can be associated with one ofthe buttons of the gaming controller 115 (e.g., the left button 119).

In one embodiment, a Melee Attack action can be associated by draggingthis action to either the left button 119 or right button 120 of thegaming controller 115. Thus, when the selected button is depressed, thestimulus signal that is generated by the selected button of the gamingcontroller 115 can be substituted by the AMS application with the MeleeAttack action. In another embodiment, the Melee Action can be associatedwith a combination of key button presses (e.g., simultaneous depressionof the left and right buttons 119, 121, or a sequence of buttondepressions: two rapid left button depressions followed by a rightbutton depression).

In yet another embodiment, the Melee Action can be associated withmovement of the gaming controller 115 such as, for example, rapidmovement or shaking of the gaming controller 115. In a furtherembodiment, the AMS application can be adapted to make associations withtwo dimensional or three-dimensional movements of the gaming controller115 according to a gaming venue state. For example, suppose the player'savatar enters a fighter jet. In this gaming venue state, moving the leftnavigation knob forward can be associated by the AMS application withcontrolling the throttle of the jet engines. Rapidly moving the gamingcontroller 115 downward can represent release of munitions such as abomb.

In a gaming venue state where the gamer's avatar has entered a building,lifting of the gaming controller 115 above a first displacementthreshold can be associated with a rapid movement of the avatar up onefloor. A second displacement threshold can be associated with a rapidmovement of the avatar down one floor—the opposite of the firstdisplacement threshold. Alternatively, the second displacement thresholdcould be associated with a different action such as jumping betweenbuildings when the avatar is on the roof of a building.

The AMS application can associate standard stimuli generated bymanipulating a gaming accessory with substitute stimuli that controlgaming actions of a video game. The AMS application can be adapted toperform these associations based on a gaming venue state such as theones described above. Accordingly, the associations made between stimulisupplied by an accessory such as the gaming controller 115 can be venuestate dependent. The gaming venue state can be a description of a gamingstate (e.g., entering a tank which requires the use of gaming controlsfor a tank), captured images of the gaming venue state (e.g., one ormore still images of a tank, or a video of an avatar entering a tank),and/or application programming instructions (API) messages which can bereceived from the gaming application to enable the AMS application toidentify the occurrence of a particular gaming venue state.

At step 512 the AMS application can also respond to a user selection ofa profile. A profile can be a device profile or master profile invokedby selecting GUI button 156 or 158, each of which can identify theassociation of gaming actions with input functions of one or moreaccessories. If a profile selection is detected in step 512, the AMSapplication can retrieve in step 514 macro(s) and/or prior associationsdefined by the profile. The actions and/or macros defined in the profilecan also be presented in step 516 by the AMS application in the actionscolumn 130 of the GUI 101 to modify existing profile associations orcreate new associations.

In step 518, the AMS application can also respond to a user selection tocreate a macro. A macro in the present context can mean any actionablecommand which can be recorded by the AMS application. An actionablecommand can represent a sequence of stimuli generated by manipulatinginput functions of an accessory, a combination of actions in the Actionsection 130, an identification of a software application to be initiatedby an operating system (OS), or any other recordable stimulus toinitiate, control or manipulate software applications. For instance, amacro can represent a user entering the identity of a softwareapplication (e.g., instant messaging tool) to be initiated by an OS uponthe AMS application detecting through speech recognition a speechcommand.

A macro can also represent recordable speech delivered by a microphonesingly or in combination with a headset for detection by anothersoftware application through speech recognition or for delivery of therecorded speech to other parties. In yet another embodiment a macro canrepresent recordable navigation of an accessory such as a joystick ofthe gaming controller 115, recordable selections of buttons of thegaming controller 115, and so on. Macros can also be combinations of theabove illustrations with selected actions from the Actions 130 menu.Macros can be created from the GUI 101 by selecting a “Record Macro”button 148. The macro can be given a name and category in user-definedfields 140 and 142.

Upon selecting the Record Macro button 148, a macro can be generated byselection of input functions on an accessory (e.g., Ctrl A, speech,navigation knob movements of the gaming controller 115, etc.) and/or bymanual entry in field 144 (e.g., typing the name and location of asoftware application to be initiated by an OS, such as an instantmessaging application, keyboard entries such as Ctrl A, etc.). Once themacro is created, it can be tested by selecting button 150 which canrepeat the sequence specified in field 144. The clone button 152 can beselected to replicate the macro sequence if desired. Fields 152 can alsopresent timing characteristics of the stimulation sequence in the macrowith the ability to modify and thereby customize the timing of one ormore stimulations in the stimulation sequence. Once the macro has beenfully defined, selection of button 154 records the macro in step 520.The recording step can be combined with a step for adding the macro tothe associable items Actions column 130, thereby providing the user themeans to associate the macro with input functions of the accessories(e.g., one or more keys of the keyboard 108, buttons of the gamingcontroller 115, etc.).

In step 522, the AMS application can respond to drag and dropassociations of actions and input functions of the keyboard 108 or thegaming controller 115. Associations can also be made based on the two-or three-dimensional movements of the gaming controller 115. If userinput indicates that a user is performing an association, the AMSapplication can proceed to step 524 where it can determine if a profilehas been identified in step 512 to record the association(s) detected.If a profile has been identified, the associations are recorded and/orstored in the profile in step 526. If a profile has not been identifiedin step 512, the AMS application can create a profile in step 528 forrecording the detected associations. In the same step, the user can namethe newly created profile as desired. The newly created profile can alsobe associated with one or more gaming software applications in step 530for future reference. The AMS application can also record in a profilein step 526 associations based on gaming venue states. In thisembodiment the same stimuli generated by the gaming controller 115 canresult in different substitutions based on the gaming venue statedetected by the AMS application.

The AMS application can be adapted to utilize image processingtechnology to detect a gaming venue state according to pre-stored imagesor video clips stored in the profile. For example, the AMS applicationcan use image processing technology to identify an avatar of a gamer andtrack what the avatar does as directed by the gamer. For example, if theavatar enters a tank, the image processing technology of the AMSapplication can detect a gaming venue state associated with the use of atank, and thereby identify associations between accessory stimuli andsubstitute stimuli according to the detected gaming venue state.

Referring back to step 526, once the associations have been recorded ina profile, the AMS application can determine in step 532 which of theaccessories shown illustratively in FIGS. 1-3 are programmable andavailable for programming. If the AMS application detects that theaccessories (e.g., keyboard 108, gaming controller 115) arecommunicatively coupled to a computing device from which the AMSapplication is operating (e.g., gaming console 306) and programmable,the AMS application can proceed to step 534 of FIG. 5 where it submitsthe profile and its contents for storage in one of the accessories(e.g., the gaming controller 115 in FIGS. 2-3 ) or the dongle 203. Oncethe gaming controller 115, dongle 303, or combinations thereof areprogrammed with the profile, such devices can perform stimulisubstitutions according to the associations recorded by the AMSapplication in the profile. Alternatively, the AMS application can storethe profile in the computing device 206 of FIGS. 2-3 and performsubstitutions of stimuli supplied by the gaming controller 115 accordingto associations recorded in the profile by the AMS application.

The GUI 101 of FIG. 1 presented by the AMS application can have otherfunctions. For example, the GUI 101 can provide options for layout ofthe accessory selected (button 122), how the keyboard is illuminatedwhen associations between input functions and actions are made (button134), and configuration options for the accessory (button 126). The AMSapplication can adapt the GUI 101 to present more than one functionalGUI page. For instance, by selecting button 102, the AMS application canadapt the GUI 101 to present a means to create macros and associateactions to accessory input functions as depicted in FIG. 1 . Selectingbutton 104 can cause the AMS application to adapt the GUI 101 to presentstatistics from stimulation information and/or gaming action resultscaptured by the AMS application. Selecting button 106 can also cause theAMS application to adapt the GUI 101 to present promotional offers andsoftware updates.

The steps of method 500 in whole or in part can be repeated until adesirable pattern is achieved of associations between stimulus signalsgenerated by accessories and substitute stimuli. It would be apparent toan artisan with ordinary skill in the art that there can be numerousother approaches to accomplish the embodiments described by method 500or variants thereof. These undisclosed approaches are contemplated bythe present disclosure.

FIG. 6 depicts a method 600 for illustrating the operations of the AMSapplication for either of the configurations shown in FIGS. 2-3 . In theconfigurations of FIGS. 2-3 , the AMS application can be operating inwhole or in part from the gaming controller 115, the dongle 203, thegaming console 206, a remote server (not shown), or a computing devicesuch as a desktop computer (also not shown). For illustration purposes,it is assumed the AMS application operates from the gaming console 206.Method 600 can begin with the AMS application establishingcommunications in steps 602 and 604 between the gaming console 206 and agaming accessory such as the gaming controller 115, and a headset 114such as shown in FIG. 1 . These steps can represent for example a userstarting the AMS application from the gaming console 206 and/or the userinserting at a USB port of the gaming console 206 a connector of a USBcable tethered to the gaming controller 115, which invokes the AMSapplication. In step 606, the gaming controller 115 and/or headset 114can in turn provide the AMS application one or more accessory ID's, orthe user can provide by way of a keyboard or the gaming controller 115user identification. With the accessory ID's, or user input the AMSapplication can identify in step 608 a user account associated with thegaming controller 115 and/or headset 114. In step 610, the AMSapplication can retrieve one or more profiles associated with the useraccount.

In step 612, the user can be presented by way of a display coupled tothe gaming console 206 profiles available to the user to choose from. Ifthe user makes a selection, the AMS application proceeds to step 614where it retrieves from the selected profiles the association(s) storedtherein. If a selection is not made, the AMS application can proceed tostep 616 where it can determine whether a software gaming application(e.g., video game) is operating from the gaming console 206 or whetherthe gaming console 206 is communicating with the software gamingapplication by way of a remote system communicatively coupled to thegaming console 206 (e.g., on-line gaming server(s) presenting, forexample, World of Warcraft™). If a gaming software application isdetected, the AMS application proceeds to step 617 where it retrieves aprofile that matches the gaming application detected and theassociation(s) contained in the profile. As noted earlier,association(s) can represent accessory stimulations, navigation, speech,the invocation of other software applications, macros or other forms ofsuitable associations that result in substitute stimulations. Theaccessory stimulations can be stimulations that are generated by thegaming controller 115, as well as stimulations from other accessories(e.g., headset 114), or combinations thereof.

Once a profile and its contents have been retrieved in either of steps614 or step 617, the AMS application can proceed to step 719 of FIG. 7where it monitors for a change in a gaming venue state based on thepresentations made by the gaming application, or API messages suppliedby the gaming application. At the start of a game, for example, thegaming venue state can be determined immediately depending on the gamingoptions chosen by the gamer. The AMS application can determine thegaming venue state by tracking the gaming options chosen by a gamer,receiving an API instruction from the gaming application, or byperforming image processing on the video presentation generated by thegaming application. For example, the AMS application can detect that thegamer has directed an avatar to enter a tank. The AMS application canretrieve in step 719 associations for the gaming controller 115 forcontrolling the tank.

The AMS application can process movements of the gaming controller 115forwards, backwards, or sideways in two or three dimensions to controlthe tanks movement. Similarly, rotating the gaming controller 115 ortilting the gaming controller 115 forward can cause an accelerometer,gyro or magnetometer of the gaming controller 115 to providenavigational data to the AMS application which can be substituted withan action to cause the tank to turn and/or move forward. The profileretrieved by the AMS application can indicate that the greater theforward tilt of the gaming controller 115, the greater the speed of thetank should be moving forward. Similarly, a rear tilt can generatenavigation data that is substituted with a reverse motion and/ordeceleration of the forward motion to stop or slow down the tank. Athree-dimensional lift of the mouse can cause the tank to steeraccording to the three dimensional navigation data provided by thegaming controller 115. For example, navigation data associated with acombination of a forward tilt and right bank of the gaming controller115 can be substituted by the AMS application to cause an increase inforward speed of the tank with a turn to the right determined by the AMSapplication according to a degree of banking of the gaming controller115 to the right. In the above embodiment, the three-dimensionalnavigation data allows a gamer to control any directional vector of thetank including speed, direction, acceleration and deceleration.

In another illustration, the AMS application can detect a new gamingvenue state as a result of the gamer directing the avatar to leave thetank and travel on foot. Once again, the AMS application retrieves instep 719 associations related to the gaming venue state. In thisembodiment, selection of buttons of the gaming controller 115 can beassociated by the AMS application with weaponry selection, firing,reloading and so on. The movement of the gaming controller 115 in two orthree dimensions can control the direction of the avatar and/orselection or use of weaponry. Once the gaming venue state is detected instep 719, the AMS application retrieves the associations related to thevenue state and can perform substitutions of stimuli generated by thegaming controller 115, and/or speech commands received by microphone ofthe headset 114.

The AMS application can monitor in step 720 stimulations generated bythe accessories coupled to the gaming console 206. The stimulations canbe generated by the gamer by manipulating the gaming controller 115,and/or by generating speech commands detected by the headset 114. If asimulation is detected at step 720, the AMS application can determine instep 722 whether to forward the detected stimulation(s) to an OperatingSystem (OS) of the gaming console 206 without substitutions. Thisdetermination can be made by comparing the detected stimulation(s) toassociation in the profile. If the detected stimulation(s) match theassociations, then the AMS application proceeds to step 740 where itretrieves substitute stimulation(s) in the profile. In step 742, the AMSapplication can substitute the detected stimulation(s) with thesubstitute stimulations in the profile. In one embodiment, the AMSapplication can track in step 744 the substitute stimulations byupdating these stimulations with a unique identifier such as a globallyunique identifier (GUID). In this embodiment, the AMS application canalso add a time stamp to each substitute stimulation to track when thesubstitution was performed.

In another embodiment, the AMS application can track each substitutestimulation according to its order of submission to the gamingapplication. For instance, sequence numbers can be generated for thesubstitute stimulations to track the order in which they were submittedto the gaming application. In this embodiment, the substitutestimulations do not need to be updated with sequence numbers oridentifiers so long as the order of gaming action results submitted bythe gaming application to the AMS application remain in the same orderas the substitute stimulations were originally submitted.

For example, if a first stimulation sent to the gaming application bythe AMS application is a command to shoot, and a second stimulation sentto the gaming application is a command to shoot again, then so long asthe gaming application provides a first a game action result for thefirst shot, followed by a game action result for the second shot, thenthe substitute stimulations will not require updating with sequencenumbers since the game action results are reported in the order that thestimulations were sent. If on the other hand, the game action resultscan be submitted out of order, then updating the stimulations withsequence numbers or another suitable identifier would be required toenable the AMS application to properly track and correlate stimulationsand corresponding gaming action results.

Once the stimulations received in step 720 have been substituted withother stimulations in step 742, and the AMS application has chosen aproper tracking methodology for correlating gaming action results withstimulations, the AMS application can proceed to step 748 and submit thesubstitute stimulations to the OS of the gaming console 206. If in step722 the detected stimulation(s) do not match an association in theprofile, then the AMS application proceeds to one of steps 744 or 746 inorder to track the stimulations of the accessory. Once the AMSapplication has performed the necessary steps to track the stimulationas originally generated by the accessory, the AMS application proceedsto step 748 where it submits stimulations (with or withoutsubstitutions) to the OS of the gaming console 206 with or withouttracking information as previously described.

In step 734, the OS determines whether to invoke in step 736 a softwareapplication identified in the stimulation(s) (e.g., gamer says “turn onteam chat”, which invokes a chat application), whether to forward thereceived stimulations to the gaming software application in step 738, orcombinations thereof. Contemporaneous to the embodiments describedabove, the AMS application can monitor in step 750 for game actionresults supplied by the gaming application via a defined API. The gameaction results can be messages sent by the gaming application by way ofthe API of the gaming application to inform the AMS application what hashappened as a result of the stimulations sent in step 738. For instance,suppose the stimulation sent to the gaming application in step 738 is acommand to shoot a pistol. The gaming application can determine that theshot fired resulted in a miss of a target. The gaming application canrespond with a message which is submitted by way of the API to the AMSapplication that indicates the shot fired resulted in a miss. If IDssuch as GUIDs were sent with each stimulation, then the gamingapplication can submit game action results with their corresponding GUIDto enable the AMS application to correlate the gaming action resultswith stimulations having the same GUID.

For example, if the command to shoot included the ID “1234”, then thegame action result indicating a miss will include the ID “1234”, whichthe AMS application can use in step 752 to identify the stimulationhaving the same ID. If on other hand, the order of game action resultscan be maintained consistent with the order of the stimulations, thenthe AMS application can correlate in step 754 stimulations with gameaction results by the order in which stimulation were submitted and theorder in which game action results were received. In step 756, the AMSapplication can catalogue stimulations and game action results. Inanother embodiment, the AMS application can be adapted to catalogue thestimulations in step 760. In this embodiment, step 760 can be performedas an alternative to steps 750 through 756. In another embodiment, step760 can be performed in combination with steps 750 through 756 in orderto generate a catalogue of stimulations, and a catalogue for gamingaction results correlated to the stimulations.

FIGS. 8-9 illustrate embodiments of a system with a correspondingcommunication flow diagram for correlating stimulations and gamingaction results. In this illustration a user clicks the left button 119of the gaming controller 115. The gaming controller 115 can includefirmware (or circuitry), which creates an event as depicted by event 2in FIG. 8 . The button depression and the event creation are depicted inFIG. 9 as steps 902 and 904. In step 904, the firmware of the gamingcontroller 115 can, for example, generate an event type “left button#3”, and a unique GUID with a time stamp which is submitted to the AMSapplication. Referring back to FIG. 8 , the AMS application cataloguesevent 3, and if a substitute stimulation has been predefined, remaps theevent according to the substitution. The remapped event is thentransmitted to the gaming application at event 4. Event 3 of FIG. 8 isdepicted as step 906 in FIG. 9 . In this illustration, the AMSapplication substitutes the left button #3depression stimulus with a“keyboard ‘F’” depression which can be interpreted by the gamingapplication as a fire command. The AMS application in this illustrationcontinues to use the same GUID, but substitutes the time stamp foranother time stamp to identify when the substitution took place.

Referring back to event 4, the gaming application processes the eventand sends back at event 5 a game action result to the AMS applicationwhich is processed by the AMS application at event 6. The AMSapplication then submits the results to the accessory at event 7. Events4 and 5 are depicted as step 908 in FIG. 9 . In this step, the gamingapplication processes “F” as an action to fire the gamer's gun, and thendetermines from the action the result from logistical gaming resultsgenerated by the gaming application. In the present illustration, theaction of firing resulted in a hit. The gaming application submits tothe AMS application the result type “Hit” with a new time stamp, whileutilizing the same GUID for tracking purposes. At step 910, the AMSapplication correlates the stimulation “left button #3 (and/or thesubstitute stimulation keyboard “F”) to the game result “Hit” andcatalogues them in memory. The AMS application then submits to theaccessory (e.g., gaming controller 115) in step 910 the game actionresults “Hit” with the same GUID, and a new time stamp indicating whenthe result was received. Upon receiving the message from the AMSapplication, the accessory in step 912 processes the “Hit” by assertinga red LED on the accessory (e.g., left button 119 illuminates in red orother LED of the gaming controller 115 illuminates in red) to indicate ahit. Other notification notices can be used such as another color forthe LED to indicate misses, a specific sound for a hit, or kill, avibration or other suitable technique for notifying the gamer of thegame action result.

The AMS application can catalogue results as shown in FIGS. 11-14 . Thepresentation of the catalogued results can be based on a live session,or a replay session when reviewing segments of a video game much like areplay session of a sporting event (e.g., football game) is analyzed bysports analysts. To assist the audience in viewing a competition betweengamers, the AMS application can be adapted to present a virtualperipheral representative of the accessory of each gamer as shown inFIGS. 11-14 .

The AMS application can be adapted to use coloring and highlight schemesto indicate when a function (e.g., a button or navigation knob) of theperipheral is being used as shown in FIG. 10 . For example, the colorcode “dark red” can represent a button or knob that is frequently inuse, while a color code of “dark blue” can represent a button or knobthat is infrequently used. To indicate when a button or knob is in use,the button or knob can be highlighted with a white outline while theunused buttons can remain un-highlighted. In the case of knobs, whichcan be moved omni-directionally, the AMS application can show movementsof a highlighted knob as the gamer is utilizing the knob based on thestimulations received by the AMS application.

For example, if a gamer moves a knob in a northwest direction, the knobis highlighted with a white outline, and the knob is shown moving in thedirection chosen by the gamer. As buttons are being depressed andreleased rapidly, the AMS application will present rapid transitioningbetween the enabling and disabling of highlights to indicate the speedthat the gamer is depressing and releasing the buttons. As the frequencyof depressions of buttons or use of knobs increases, the AMS applicationwill change the color code of the buttons or knobs as described above tosignify frequency of use of the buttons and knobs.

In an embodiment where the AMS application receives gaming results froma gaming application via an API as described above, the communicationflow diagram shown in FIG. 9 can be modified with a more comprehensiveprotocol that includes a weapon type being monitored, misses, non-killhits (i.e., a hit that does not result in a kill), kill hits, and lossof life rate.

The AMS application can present performance factors of each gamer, andthe type of weapons being tracked (e.g., sniper rifle, machine gun, handgun) as shown in FIGS. 11-12 . To identify which weapon is being used atany point in time during a gaming session, the AMS application canhighlight the weapon in a distinguishable color such as blue whilekeeping all other weapon rows in gray. The AMS application can calculatean average hit rate from the misses, non-kill hits, and kill hits. TheAMS application can compare gaming action results between the gamers toidentifying leading performance factors as shown in the “Comp Rating”column of each player. In a tournament setting, the performance factorsshown in FIGS. 11 and 12 can be shown in side-by-side monitors, ortogether in a JumboTron™ display such as those used in sporting eventsor the like.

As the gamer is competing, the input functions of the gaming controller115 can be highlighted and moved (in the case of knobs) to show theaudience how the gaming controller 115 is being used by the gamer. Thehealth of the gamer's avatar can be shown below the gaming controller115. To further enhance the experience for the audience, the gamer'simage can be shown as a video clip during the competition. The AMSapplication can also be adapted to present a portion of the video gameassociated with each gamer as shown in FIGS. 11-12 .

In an embodiment where the gaming application does not provide gamingaction results (e.g., the video gaming application does not provide anAPI), the AMS application can be adapted to present a gamer'sperformance based on the stimulus signals generated, and whereapplicable, the substitute stimulus signals submitted to the gamingapplication as shown in FIGS. 13-14 . In this illustration, the virtualperipherals are shown with the color scheme and highlights discussedearlier. The performance of the gamers can be presented according to thetype of weapons used, the key depressions invoking substitutions, themacros invoked, and the rate of transmission of stimuli to the gamingapplication.

For example, for gamer #1, the simultaneous depression of the up anddown arrows invoked the macro team chat, while using the sniper rifle.The gamer shot the rifle 14 times with 4 shots in rapid succession. Upondepressing the left “1” button of a front section of the gamingcontroller 115 of gamer #1, the AMS application invoked substitutestimuli transmitted to the gaming application which switches the use ofthe sniper rifle to the machine gun. A subsequent depression of the samebutton can cause a substitute stimulus generated by the AMS applicationto return to the sniper rifle. A depression of the right “1” button bygamer #1 resulted in substitute stimuli generated by the AMS applicationto call for air support. Gamer #2 shows that s/he has not invoked asubstitute stimulus for the machine gun. This may be because the gamerhas not pre-programmed the AMS application to associate stimuligenerated by the gaming controller 115 with substitute stimuli, orbecause the gamer has chosen not to invoke substitute stimuli with aparticular key depression (or sequence of key depressions).

Monitoring stimuli generation and substitutes can be used to rateplayers' performances. For example, a gamer that has a tendency toperform rapid fire on a machine gun without saving ammunition may beviewed as a poor game tactic. Comparing such statistics between gamerscan be used to show performance lead factors between the gamers.

The methods of FIGS. 5-7 can be adapted to operate in whole or in partin a gaming accessory, in an operating system of a computer, in a gamingconsole, in a gaming application that generates the video game, in adongle, or any other suitable software application and/or device.

The method of FIG. 7 can be adapted to ignore or filter game actionresults, which may not be relevant to the gamer or analysts. Forinstance, the AMS application can be adapted to ignore (or filter) gameaction results relating to navigation of the avatar (e.g., turn around,jump, etc.). The AMS application can also be adapted to ignore (orfilter) game action results relating to preparatory actions such asreloading a gun, switching between weapons, and so on. In anotherembodiment, the AMS application can be adapted to selectively monitoronly particular game result actions such as misses, non-kill hits,kills, and life of the avatar. The AMS application can also be adaptedto monitor gaming action results with or without temporal dataassociated with the stimuli and game action results.

In one embodiment, the AMS application can be adapted to track stimuli(or substitutions thereof) by submission order, and order of gamingaction results supplied by the gaming application and performcataloguing thereof by the respective order of stimuli and gaming actionresults. The items can be catalogued by the AMS application with orwithout temporal data.

In one embodiment, the AMS application can be adapted to collect gamingaction results for “all”, or a substantial portion of stimuli (orsubstitutions thereof) transmitted to the gaming application. In thisembodiment, the AMS application can be adapted to enable a gamer toreplay portions of the game to allow the gamer to visualize (in slowmotion, still shots, or regular play speed) the actions taken by thegamer (i.e., accessory stimuli and/or substitute stimuli) to help thegamer identify areas of the game where his/her performance can beimproved.

In one embodiment, the AMS application can be implemented as adistributed system (e.g., one or more servers executing one or morevirtual machines) enabling multiple users to control aspects of the AMSapplication. For example, in a tournament setting, gaming analystshaving access to the AMS application can request a replay of portions ofthe game to demonstrate exceptional plays versus missed plays at aJumboTron™ display. The garners can access the AMS application toestablish new substitute stimuli, perform calibrations on macros, orinvoke or create additional gaming profiles. Portions of the AMSapplication can also be implemented by equipment of unaffiliated partiesor service providers of gaming services.

In one embodiment, the AMS application can be adapted to substitute anaccessory stimulus (or stimuli) for a macro comprising a combination ofsubstitute stimuli and track the macro when gaming action results arereceived from the gaming application rather than track each individualsubstitute stimulus of the macro. The AMS application can be adapted tomonitor macros by tracking an order of stimuli (or substitutes)associated with the macro that are transmitted to the gaming applicationand by tracking an order of gaming action results received from thegaming application, which are associated with the macro. Alternatively,or in combination the AMS application can add a unique identifier to thesubstitute stimuli to identify the stimuli as being associated with themacro.

The AMS application can be adapted to catalogue the gaming actionresults associated with the macro in a manner that allows the gamer toidentify a group of gaming action results as being associated with themacro. The AMS application can also be adapted to collect sufficientdata to assess each individual gaming action result of the macro (e.g.,temporal data, hits, misses, etc.). The presentation of catalogued macrodata can be hierarchical. For example, the AMS application can present aparticular macro by way of a high-level GUI that indicates the macrocaused a kill. The AMS application can be adapted to enable the gamer toselect a different GUI that enables the user to visualize a gamingaction result for each stimulus of the macro to determine how effectivethe macro was in performing the kill, and whether further adjustments ofthe macro might improve the gamer's performance.

In one embodiment, the AMS application can be adapted to present more orless competitive information than is shown in FIGS. 11-14 . In oneembodiment, for example, the AMS application can be adapted to presentcompetitive information without the virtual peripherals. In one example,the AMS application can be adapted to present scrollable pages ofcompetitive information with or without the virtual peripherals. Inanother illustration, the AMS application can be adapted to presentcompetitive information without a viewing of the game or the gamer.Other variants of presenting competitive information or other data shownin FIGS. 11-14 are contemplated by the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a computer system foracquiring gamer hardware information for multiple devices by way of theAMS application. System 1500 can include two or more communicativelycoupled computing devices. For example, the system 1500 can include oneor more computer devices 1510 and 1520, gaming console devices 1530,mobile communication devices and/or mobile computing devices 1550,and/or server devices 1570. The system 1500 can include one or moreaccessory devices, such as gaming console controllers 115, mouse devices110, keyboard devices 108, and/or joystick devices 116. The system 1500can include one or more virtual accessory devices, such as a controllerdevice that is emulated on a mobile computer device. The severalcomputing devices of the system 1500 can be communicatively coupled byconnection to a network 1544, such as a local area network (LAN) or awide-area network (WAN). The network 1544 can provide access to theInternet. The several computing devices of the system 1500 can becoupled to the network 1544 by wired or wireless links. The AMSapplication at any of the client device, such as the computer device1510 can process received stimuli from an accessory device, such as amouse device 110, to determine associated actions and, if necessary,perform macro-operations of multiple actions. The processed stimuli areused to navigate and control the software application running at thecomputer device 1510

The computer devices 1510 and 1520 can be, for example, laptopcomputers, desktop computers, or tablet computers. For example, acomputer device 1510 of the system 1500 can process and execute computerinstructions from a software application. In one embodiment, thesoftware application can be a gaming program, where a user of thecomputer device 1510 can be shown a graphical user interface depicting agaming situation on a display of, or connected to, the computer device1510. The user of the computer device 1510 can interact with the gamingprogram, to provide navigational and control directives, using any oneor a combination of several input devices 110. In one embodiment, thecomputer device 1510 can use the AMS application to monitor and capturefunctional inputs, or user stimulations, from physical and/or virtualaccessories coupled to the computer device 1510. In one embodiment, theAMS application at the computer device 1510 can capture stimulationsfrom a keyboard device 108 or a keyboard or touchpad built into thecomputer device 1510. The AMS application can process these stimulationsand retrieve associated actions for use by the software applicationrunning at the computer device 1510. In another embodiment, the AMSapplication at the gaming console device 1530 can capture and processstimulations from a physical accessory, such as a gaming controller 115,that is coupled to the gaming console device 1530 by way of a wirelesslink. In one embodiment, the mobile computing device 1550 can be coupledto a joystick controller 1156 through, for example, wirelesscommunication. A user of the client mobile computer device 1550 cannavigate and control a software application at the mobile computingdevice 1550 using the joystick device 116.

A server device 1570 can be coupled to the network, such as anInternet-capable network. In one embodiment, the server device 1570 canhost a gamer performance social network. The social network can includean Internet accessible web site that can be hosted by the server 1570 orhosted on another device, such as a web hosting service, where theserver 1570 provides content. In one embodiment, the social network cansupport a page, group, or other special interest site at a genericsocial media application, such as FaceBook™, Google+™, MySpace™, orTwitter™.

The server device 1570 can receive hardware statistics from variousdevices 1510, 1520, 1530, and 1550 that can communicate with the server1570 over the network. In one embodiment, the server 1570 can requesthardware statistics from the devices. Alternatively, the devices canrequest that the server 1570 accept hardware statistics that areavailable for distribution. The server 1570 can have an agreement withone or more devices to collect hardware statistics as these becomeavailable. In one embodiment, devices can send hardware statistics tothe server 1570, in real time, during game play. In one embodiment,devices can send hardware statistics at the end of a gaming session oron a period basis. In one embodiment, the device 1510 can performadditional post processing of the hardware statistics. For example, thedevice 1510 can correlate the gaming stimulations, substitutedstimulations, and gaming results to generate performance factors andthen send any or all of these to the server 1570. In another example,the device 1510 can further process the data to combine the hardwarestatistics and the performance factors into a hardware profile of thegamer for this game play and then forward the results to the server1570. In one embodiment, the hardware statistics are reported to theserver 1570 as raw gaming stimulations, macro-substituted stimulations,and gaming action results. The server 1570 can then perform the postprocessing analysis of the reported data to generate performance factorsand/or hardware profiles.

In one embodiment, a device can send hardware statistics from otherdevices to the server 1570. For example, the computer device 1510 cancapture hardware statistics from the mobile computing device 1550 andforward these hardware statistics to the server 1570. In one embodiment,the computer device 1510 and the mobile computing device 1550 can beengaged in playing a video game of a gaming application at the sametime. For example, the computer device 1510 and the mobile computingdevice 1550 can play a video game over an Internet connection. AMSapplications at the computer device 1510 and the mobile computing device1550 can capture hardware statistics, including gaming stimulationsgenerated by gaming accessories 110 and 116 and gaming action resultsgenerated by the gaming application. In one embodiment, each device 1510and 1550 can report the hardware statistics directly to the server 1570.In another embodiment, one of the devices, such as the computer device1510, can capture the hardware statistics for both devices and thenforward the combined data to the server 1570.

In one embodiment, the server 1570 can host a video game of a gamingapplication. For example, devices 1540 and 1520 can participate in avideo game that is hosted by the server 1570. In one embodiment, theserver 1570 can execute the gaming application and the gaming devices1540 and 1520 can log into the server to join or begin the video game.In this case, the server 1570 can acquire and retain hardware statisticsfor the devices 1540 and 1520 automatically as gaming stimulation datais transmitted to and processed by the server device 1570. In anotherembodiment, the server 1570 can arrange a game play by allowing thedevices 1540 and 1520 to find one another at the server. For example,the server 1570 can advertise at a hosted site that a game of World ofWarcraft™ is seeking participants. The devices 1540 and 1520 can sign upto join the scheduled game and be given an opportunity to agree to allowthe server 1570 to acquire hardware statistics from the game play. Theactual World of Warcraft™ gaming application can be executed on anotherdevice, such as a cloud server, free the server 1570 from this burden.

In one embodiment, the server 1570 can acquire graphical representationsof game play at a device. As the gaming application executes at adevice, such as the computer device 1520, computer generated graphicsare presented to the gamer for context and feedback during game play.This computer generated graphics can be sent to the server 1570 duringor after game play. For example, the computer device 1520 can stream thegraphical representations to the server during game play so that anotheruser of the server 1570, such as a member of the gamer performancesocial network, can view the gaming action in real time. In anotherexample, the computer device 1520 can send the graphical representationsof the game play to the server after game play has ended or has beensuspended. In one embodiment, the computer device 1520 can send a fileto the server 1570 including the graphical representations during timeswhen the computer device 1520, the server 1570, and/or the network aremost available or have greater bandwidth.

In one embodiment, user profiles can be maintained to govern thetransfer of the hardware statistics to the server 1570. In oneembodiment, each device 1510 maintains user profiles for the gamer, orgamers, who play using the device 1510. In one embodiment, the userprofiles are maintained by the server 1570. The user profiles cancontrol what data is reported to the server 1570 for which video gameand which device. For example, one gamer can decide to participate insending data to the gamer performance social network while another gamerat the same device 1510 can decide not to send data. For example, agamer at a device 1510 can decide to send data to the server 1570 forone video game but not another or to send data for one accessory but notanother. The gamer at the device 1510 can select whether to send thedata during game play or to wait until the game is concluded orsuspended. In one embodiment the user profile can control gamerpreferences associated with other functions of the gamer performancesocial network, such as the extent to which hardware statistics,profiles, and/or performance factors are shared with other members,participation in social network credit acquisition, comments, andvaluation of gamer performance.

FIG. 16 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a gamer performance socialnetwork. Network 1600 can include two more modules that determine thefeatures and performance of the network 1600. Features of the socialnetwork can include several modules that can exhibit varying levels ofinterrelationships to one another. A main module 1604 of the gamerperformance social network can include an overarching module that allowsthe several modules to be effectively and reliably integrated. In oneembodiment, the main module operates a website accessible by a URL overthe Internet.

In one embodiment, the social network 1600 can include a dataacquisition module 1614 for acquiring gamer hardware statistics. In oneembodiment, the server 1570 can request hardware statistics from thedevices. Alternatively, the devices can request that the server 1570accept hardware statistics that are available for distribution. Theserver 1570 can have an agreement with one or more devices to collecthardware statistics as these become available. In one embodiment,devices can send hardware statistics to the server 1570, in real time,during game play. In one embodiment, devices can send hardwarestatistics at the end of a gaming session or on a period basis. In oneembodiment, a device 1510 can perform additional post processing of thehardware statistics prior to sending these statistics to the server1570. For example, the device 1510 can correlate the gamingstimulations, substituted stimulations, and gaming results to generateperformance factors and then send any or all of these to the server1570. In another example, the device 1510 can further process the datato combine the hardware statistics and the performance factors into ahardware profile of the gamer for this game play and then forward theresults to the server 1570. In one embodiment, the hardware statisticsare reported to the server 1570 as raw gaming stimulations,macro-substituted stimulations, and gaming action results. The server1570 can then perform the post processing analysis of the reported datato generate performance factors and/or hardware profiles.

In one embodiment, a device can send hardware statistics from otherdevices to the server 1570. For example, the computer device 1510 cancapture hardware statistics from the mobile computing device 1550 andforward these hardware statistics to the server 1570. In one embodiment,each device 1510 and 1550 can report the hardware statistics directly tothe server 1570. In another embodiment, one of the devices, such as thecomputer device 1510, can capture the hardware statistics for bothdevices and then forward the combined data to the server 1570.

In one embodiment, the social network 1600 can include a statisticsanalysis module 1618 to calculate gamer hardware statistics. In oneembodiment, the server 1570 can receive raw gaming simulations,macro-substituted stimulations, and gaming action results for each gamerparticipating in play of a video game. The server 1570 can correlate thereceived raw gaming simulations, macro-substituted stimulations, andgaming action results to calculate performance factors for this gamer.As an example, FIGS. 17-18 illustrates exemplary gamer hardwarestatistics and gamer performance factors for a gamer playing afirst-person shooting game such as World of Warcraft™. The gamerhardware statistics reported to the server 1570 include information oninteractions by this gamer with the gamer's computer device andaccessory devices resulted in gaming action results. Referringparticularly to FIG. 17 , the gaming stimulations indicate that thegamer selected three different weapons during the game, a sniper rifle,a machine gun, and a handgun. While the sniper rifle was selected, thegamer triggered a substitute stimulation of Up/Down for the keyboard 108or another accessory, invoked a team chat macro sequence, and firedfourteen shots, with four of these rapid shots and the balance singleshots. Similarly for the machine gun and the hand gun, the gamertriggered substitution stimulations, macros, and performed differentshot types. The hardware statistics of FIG. 17 illustrate in a chartform at least some of the actions taken by the gamer during the gameplay.

Referring now to FIG. 18 , the raw gaming simulations, macro-substitutedstimulations, and gaming action results can be further correlated todetermine several performance factors for the gamer. In the correlationstep, the gaming action results are aligned with the gaming stimulationsand substitute stimulations to assess what happened during each of theweapon shots logged in the hardware statistics. As a result, gamerperformance factors show which shots resulted in a miss, a non-kill hit,or a kill, and calculates percentages to represent the gamer's accuracyand/or effectiveness.

In one embodiment, the social network 1600 can include a videoacquisition module 1622 to acquire graphical representations of thevideo game play. In one embodiment, the server 1570 can acquiregraphical representations of game play at a device. As the gamingapplication executes at a device, such as the computer device 1520,computer generated graphics are presented to the gamer for context andfeedback during game play. This computer generated graphics can be sentto the server 1570 during or after game play. For example, the computerdevice 1520 can stream the graphical representations to the serverduring game play so that another user of the server 1570, such as amember of the gamer performance social network, can view the gamingaction in real time. In another example, the computer device 1520 cansend the graphical representations of the game play to the server aftergame play has ended or has been suspended. In one embodiment, thecomputer device 1520 can send a file to the server 1570 including thegraphical representations during times when the computer device 1520,the server 1570, and/or the network are most available or have greaterbandwidth.

Referring again to FIG. 16 , in one embodiment, the social network 1600can include a profile module 1626 to generate gamer hardware profilesand/or gamer skill profiles. In one embodiment, the gamer hardwareprofile can include a combination of hardware statistics associated withthe gamer and performance factors correlated for the gamer. For example,the data represented in FIGS. 17 and 18 can be combined to generate ahardware profile for the gamer. In one embodiment, the gamer hardwareprofile can include averages of values acquired by the social network1600 for various time periods, including, for example, single gameplays, tournament averages, league averages, and lifetime averages. Inone embodiment, the gamer hardware profile can include comparativeratings against other gamers. For example, the gamer's profiled hardwarestatistics and performance factors can be compared to other gamers in aclassification based on performance or other gamers in a league ortournament. The gamer's profiled statistics and factors can also becompared to his or her prior profiles.

In one embodiment, a gamer skill profile can be synthesized for a gamerby detecting correlations between the hardware statistics, the gamingaction results, the performance factors, and graphical representationsof the game play. For example, the hardware statistics and gaming actionresults can show that a gamer exhibits faster than average abilities tofire a machine gun and above average kill percentages. Further, when thehardware statistics are correlated to the graphical representation ofthe game play, this correlation can show that the gamer is highlyeffective when firing from good cover but is not effective in closecombat situations. The gamer skill profile can label this gamer as agood defender but weak attacker based on this correlation. In otherexamples, the profile module 1626 can assess the gamer's abilities toaccurately shoot on the run, degradation in performance when underattack by multiple opponents, to kill after a weapon switch, or toaccurately shoot from distance. The profile module 1626 can furtherlabel the gamer, for example, as an attacker, as cool under fire, as amultiple weapon expert, or as a sniper. Any of the correlated skills canbe compared to other gamer in a classification based on performance orin a league or tournament or to prior performance by the gamer.

In one embodiment, the social network 1600 can include a presentationmodule 1630 to present gamer statistical information and video graphicsof game play to members of the social network 1600. In one embodiment,the social network can present hardware statistics, performance factors,and hardware profiles to members. In one embodiment, the social network1600 can present graphical representations of game play to members ofthe social network. For example, the social network can presentstatistical information or graphical representations on a website or ona page of a generic social media site or by linking to a site, such asYouTube™, that specializes in presenting video data.

In one embodiment, the social network 1600 can include a membershipmanagement module 1640 to in the social network. In one embodiment, themembership management module 1640 can seek new members throughadvertising on other social networks or on through media outlets andwebsites. In one embodiment, the module can enable new members toregister under the social network 1600 with user names and passwords.For example, the social network 1600 can host a website that allows newmembers to join by entering information into a new member registrationwindow. In one embodiment, the module can store membership informationfor access by the social network for enhancing the member's experience.For example, the membership management module 1640 can store informationon the member's favorite video games or professional players orpublishers. Other modules, such as a marketing module 1662, can use thisinformation to target marketing to the member for special content,offers, or experiences. In one embodiment, the membership managementmodule 1640 can remove members from the social network for violations ofmember rules.

In one embodiment, the social network 1600 can include an incentivizingmodule 1654 which can offer various incentives for new members to jointhe social network or for existing members to be retained. In oneembodiment, the incentivizing module 1654 can offer credits to membersof the social network for participating in various aspects of thenetwork. For example, the incentivizing module 1654 can offer creditsfor comments entered on topics of video games, gamers, hardware, andother content. In another example, credits can be earned for members whoallow their hardware data and/or graphical video to be collected andshared at the social network 1600. For example, credits can be earnedfor providing additional content in blogs or for participating incomment moderation actions. For example, a member can earn credits forcensoring content due to profanity or other reasons.

In one embodiment, the social network 1600 can include an accountingmodule 1658 for tracking member credits. In one embodiment, members canbe awarded credits for various favored activities, including logginginto the social network site, entering comments and ratings,participating in activities, and sharing data. In one embodiment,credits can be subtracted from members for various disfavored behaviors.For example, credits can be subtracted crude or offensive or profanecomments. In another example, credits can degrade over time if a memberfails to log in. In one embodiment, the social network can awarddiffering levels of status to members based on credits. For example, amember can be awarded a leadership status based on achieving a level ofcomments and/or longevity in the social network. In one embodiment, theaccounting module 1658 can deduct credits whenever a member exchangescredits for a reward through a rewarding module 1666.

In one embodiment, the social network 1600 can include a marketingmodule 1662 for targeting various marketing to the social network as awhole and to individual members. In one embodiment, the social network1600 can be sponsored by a specific company, such as by a seller ofgaming-related products, or by multiple vendors. In one embodiment,vendors can purchase advertising space on the social network site,either directly or through a third-party web advertising firm. In oneembodiment, the marketing module 1662 uses information from individualmembers to target specific content to these members. For example, themarketing module 1662 can access membership registration data and useprofiling data to target advertisements or offers for content to membersbased on demographics, stated likes or dislikes, game-playing habits,and/or favorites. In one embodiment, the marketing module 1662 can linkinterested third parties to special events hosted on the social networksite, such as gaming tournaments, fantasy leagues based on gamerstatistics, and content premiers.

In one embodiment, the social network 1600 can include a rewardingmodule 1666 for advertising and presenting awards to members of thesocial network based on credits or other member actions. In oneembodiment, the rewarding module 1666 can award members access tospecial content, such as free or discounted hardware accessories,gaming-related products, and/or video games. In one embodiment, therewarding module 1666 can award members access to professional gamerhardware profiles and/or graphical video of game play. In oneembodiment, addition al features in the social network site are unlockedas reward. For example, a member can gain access to additional contentfrom publishers and business partners associated with the site.

In one embodiment, the social network 1600 can include a commentmanagement module 1670 for acquiring, compiling, presenting, andcensoring member comments. For example, the comment management module1670 can oversee opening and closing of comments, censoring of offensiveor illegal comments, and grading comments for the earning credits. Inone embodiment, Comments can be presented with other site content and/orlinks to related content. The comment management module 1670 can allowmember comment on particular gamers, such as professional gamers, and onhardware and software. Comments can be captured and displayed inassociation with gaming tournaments, fantasy leagues, and other specialactivities on the site. In one embodiment, members can add content tothe site contingent upon a democratic vote of other members.

In one embodiment, the social network 1600 can include a rating module1674 for capturing and compiling member ratings of games, game hardware,gamers, and other game-related content. For example, the rating module1674 can request member ratings of gamers, such as professional gamers,whose hardware profiles are presented at the site. In one embodiment,member ratings of hardware and games and related content are collected.In one embodiment, member ratings are used by a valuation module 1678 toprovide member valuations for content at the site. In one embodiment,members input can provide values for gamer statistics, performancefactors, and/or skill profiles. For example, members can vote to decidea relative value for each gamer's profile or to establish a standardvalue for different profile levels. In one embodiment, member-derivedvaluations of gamer profiles can be used for a “belt” system similar tothe colored belt system that governs martial arts training.

In one embodiment, the social network 1600 can compare hardware profilesof two or more gamers and present the results to the members of thesocial network. For example, the social network can compare a profile ofa professional gamer with that of a member who has allowed the networkto collect his or her hardware statistics.

In one embodiment, the social network 1600 can compare hardware profilesof two or more gamers and attempt to match gamers in prospective videogame play opportunities. For example, the social network 1600 can allowmembers to post prospective gaming opportunities on the network site andsolicit other members to join in on game play either as teammates or asopponents. In one embodiment, the members can request gamers of certainhardware profiles and/or skill profiles and allow the social network tosuggest other members whose profiles are stored in the network. In oneembodiment, members can allow the social network to review their ownhardware and/or skill profiles, as compiled by their submitted data, andto attempt to find other members with similar profiles as opponents ofteammates. In one embodiment, the social network can attempt to matchmembers with complimentary skill profiles for team opportunities. Forexample, the social network can attempt to compile a team of playerswith complimentary skill set, such as matching good defenders with goodattackers, snipers with close combat experts, and leaders withfollowers. In one embodiment, the social network 1600 can host acompetition based on opponents and/or teams that have been suggestedand/or compiled by the social network.

In one embodiment, the social network 1600 can construct a hardwareprofile for a computer-controlled player associated with a video game.In one embodiment, the social network can statistically analyze hardwarestimulation data from a database of many gamers who have allowed theirdata to be captured by the network. The social network can create aprospective computer-controlled player with average, below average, orabove average abilities to provide varied competition for players of thevideo game in computer-player mode. The social network can create aprofessional player model of the computer-generated player by accessingdata from professional players.

FIG. 19 depicts illustrative embodiments of a method 1900 operating inportions of the systems described in FIGS. 1-17 . Method 1900 can beginwith step 1904 in which a server can establish a social network ofmembers. In one embodiment, the social network can be based on aninternet website. In one embodiment, the social network can be a page orother entity of a general-purpose social media site. In one embodiment,the social network can register a set of members and manage access tocontent of the social network through member logins.

In step 1908, the server can receive hardware statistics and correlatedgaming action results generated by gaming accessory devices of gamerscontrolling video game presented by gaming application. In oneembodiment, the server can receive the hardware statistics and gamingaction results from devices over a network connection, such as anInternet protocol connection. In one embodiment, the gaming accessorydevices can be monitored and processed at the computer devices by AMSsoftware that converts user inputs into game stimulations that, in turn,can generate gaming action results as the gaming application isexecuted. In one embodiment, the server can receive hardware statisticsand gaming action results from many gamer devices to thereby create alarge database of gamer and hardware performance that can be analyzedand shared with members of the social network.

In step 1912, the server can correlate received hardware statistics andgaming action results to generate performance factors for gamers. In oneembodiment, the server can receive raw gaming simulations,macro-substituted stimulations, and gaming action results for each gamerparticipating in play of a video game. In one embodiment, the server cancorrelate the received raw gaming simulations, macro-substitutedstimulations, and gaming action results to calculate performance factorsfor this gamer.

In step 1916, the server can combine hardware statistics and performancefactors to generated hardware profiles for gamers. In one embodiment,the gamer hardware profile can include a combination of hardwarestatistics associated with the gamer and performance factors correlatedfor the gamer. In one embodiment, the gamer hardware profile can includeaverages of values acquired by the social network for various timeperiods, including, for example, single game plays, tournament averages,league averages, and lifetime averages. In one embodiment, the gamerhardware profile can include comparative ratings against other gamers.

In step 1920, the server presents hardware profiles, statistics, andperformance factors to members of social network. In one embodiment, theserver can present hardware statistics, performance factors, andhardware profiles to members. In one embodiment, the server can presentgraphical representations of game play to members of the social network.

From the foregoing descriptions, it would be evident to an artisan withordinary skill in the art that the aforementioned embodiments can bemodified, reduced, or enhanced without departing from the scope andspirit of the claims described below.

In one embodiment, the social network can store multiple recorded gamesessions for each gamer that has agreed to share data with the network.The stored session can be adapted to compare a history of game sessionsto assess how each gamer's performance has evolved. Each gamer'simprovement or degradation detected by the social network over a numberof gaming sessions can be reported to the gamer and/or other gamers asprogression line charts, histograms, pie charts or other suitablepresentation methods. The results can also be reported in a gamingtournament, on-line games, or other suitable setting in a manner similarto the illustrations of FIGS. 11-14 . In one embodiment, the socialnetwork can detect improvements or degradations in performance between apresent tournament game and the previously recorded tournament game andreport the results to members of the network.

In yet another embodiment, the social network can compare a gamer'sperformance to another gamer's recorded performance. The garners'performance can be compared to each other based on a present gamingsession or on prior recorded sessions. In one embodiment, the socialnetwork can be adapted to present a GUI where it presents a list ofgamers and recorded sessions from each gamer. The GUI can enable a userto select a particular gamer and a particular recorded gaming session ofthe selected gamer for comparison to a recorded (or live) gaming sessionof the user making the selection or another gamer of interest to theuser (e.g., comparing the performance of two professional gamers).

In yet another embodiment, the social network can be adapted to alertmembers when a particular gamer has achieved certain performancecriteria. For instance, the social network can present a GUI to identifyperformance criteria of interest (e.g., number of kill hits, average hitrate for a particular weapon, a particular ranking of a gamer for aparticular gaming application, etc.). The identified performancecriteria can be monitored by the social network for the selected gamerand when one or more criteria have been achieved by the monitored gamer,the server can alert the interested members by suitable communicationmeans such as email, short messaging system (SMS) text message, or a GUIof a website or other entity directed by the social network.

In another embodiment, the social network can compare the performance ofthe gamers to other users of a particular gaming console or hardwareaccessory. For example, the social network can compare all gamers usinga certain brand of mouse or keyboard. In one embodiment, the socialnetwork can compare an aggregated performance value for all users of onebrand versus all users of another brand.

The foregoing embodiments are a subset of possible embodimentscontemplated by the present disclosure. Other suitable modifications canbe applied to the present disclosure.

FIG. 20 depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of a machine inthe form of a computer system 2000 within which a set of instructions,when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethods discussed above. One or more instances of the machine canoperate as any of devices depicted in FIGS. 1-3 , and FIG. 15 . In someembodiments, the machine may be connected (e.g., using a network) toother machines. In a networked deployment, the machine may operate inthe capacity of a server or a client user machine in server-client usernetwork environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (ordistributed) network environment.

The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, apersonal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a smart phone, a laptop computer, adesktop computer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge,or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential orotherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. It will beunderstood that a communication device of the present disclosureincludes broadly any electronic device that provides voice, video ordata communication. Further, while a single machine is illustrated, theterm “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machinesthat individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) ofinstructions to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein.

The computer system 2000 may include a processor 2002 (e.g., a centralprocessing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU, or both), a mainmemory 2004 and a static memory 2006, which communicate with each othervia a bus 2008. The computer system 2000 may further include a videodisplay unit 2010 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a flat panel,or a solid-state display. The computer system 2000 may include an inputdevice 2012 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 2014 (e.g., amouse), a disk drive unit 2016, a signal generation device 2018 (e.g., aspeaker or remote control) and a network interface device 2020.

The disk drive unit 2016 may include a tangible computer-readablestorage medium 2022 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions(e.g., software 2024) embodying any one or more of the methods orfunctions described herein, including those methods illustrated above.The instructions 2024 may also reside, completely or at least partially,within the main memory 2004, the static memory 2006, and/or within theprocessor 2002 during execution thereof by the computer system 2000. Themain memory 2004 and the processor 2002 also may constitute tangiblecomputer-readable storage media.

Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to,application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement themethods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatusand systems of various embodiments broadly include a variety ofelectronic and computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions intwo or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices withrelated control and data signals communicated between and through themodules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit.Thus, the example system is applicable to software, firmware, andhardware implementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, themethods described herein are intended for operation as software programsrunning on a computer processor. Furthermore, software implementationscan include, but not limited to, distributed processing orcomponent/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtualmachine processing can also be constructed to implement the methodsdescribed herein.

While the tangible computer-readable storage medium 622 is shown in anexample embodiment to be a single medium, the term “tangiblecomputer-readable storage medium” should be taken to include a singlemedium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database,and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets ofinstructions. The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shallalso be taken to include any non-transitory medium that is capable ofstoring or encoding a set of instructions for execution by the machineand that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods ofthe present disclosure.

The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shall accordinglybe taken to include, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such asa memory card or other package that houses one or more read-only(non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or other re-writable(volatile) memories, a magneto-optical or optical medium such as a diskor tape, or other tangible media which can be used to store information.Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one or more ofa tangible computer-readable storage medium, as listed herein andincluding art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which thesoftware implementations herein are stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are from time-to-timesuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Wireless standards for device detection (e.g.,RFID), short-range communications (e.g., Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee), andlong-range communications (e.g., WiMAX, GSM, CDMA, LTE) are contemplatedfor use by computer system 2000.

The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments,and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all theelements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use ofthe structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparentto those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Otherembodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structuraland logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing fromthe scope of this disclosure. Figures are also merely representationaland may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may beexaggerated, while others may be minimized. Accordingly, thespecification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative ratherthan a restrictive sense.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated toachieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodimentsshown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations orvariations of various embodiments. Combinations of the aboveembodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein,are contemplated by the present disclosure.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided with the understanding thatit will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of theclaims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can beseen that various features are grouped together in a single embodimentfor the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method ofdisclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that theclaimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited ineach claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subjectmatter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment.Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the DetailedDescription, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimedsubject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device, comprising: a processing systemincluding a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructionsthat, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance ofoperations, the operations comprising: initiating a social networkincluding a plurality of members of the social network and a pluralityof computer devices for operating gaming programs; receiving, from theplurality of computer devices, hardware statistics associated with aplurality of gamers that play the gaming programs and performancefactors; combining the hardware statistics and the performance factorsthat are received to generate a plurality of hardware profiles, eachrespective hardware profile of the plurality of hardware profiles beingassociated with a respective gamer of the plurality of gamers;presenting a hardware profile that is associated with a gamer of theplurality of gamers to a portion of the plurality of members of thesocial network; and alerting a member of the social network if the gamerof the plurality of gamers achieves one or more performance criteriaaccording to a respective hardware profile.
 2. The device of claim 1,wherein the receiving hardware statistics comprises: receiving, fromrespective computer devices of the plurality of computer devices, aplurality of gaming stimulations, a plurality of substitutedstimulations, a plurality of gaming results, and the performancefactors.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the receiving the pluralityof gaming stimulations comprises: receiving a plurality of stimulussignals generated by a plurality of gaming accessory devices.
 4. Thedevice of claim 3, wherein the receiving the plurality of substitutedstimulations comprises: receiving substituted stimulations comprisingsignals that are substituted for a portion of the plurality of stimulussignals based on a pre-arranged substitution strategy.
 5. The device ofclaim 2, wherein the receiving hardware statistics comprises: receivinga set of gaming stimulations, a set of substituted stimulations, and aset of gaming results that have been collected by the respectivecomputer devices of the plurality of computer devices.
 6. The device ofclaim 5, wherein the receiving hardware statistics comprises: receivingthe hardware statistics for which the respective computer devicescorrelate the set of gaming stimulations and the set of substitutedstimulations to a set of gaming results and for which the respectivecomputer devices of the plurality of computer devices further correlatethe set of gaming stimulations, the set of substituted stimulations, andthe set of gaming results to generate a set of performance factors. 7.The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:synthesizing at least one skill profile of one gamer of the plurality ofgamers by detecting correlations between portions of the hardwarestatistics or portions of the performance factors or combinationsthereof; and presenting information about the at least one skill profileto at least some members of the plurality of members of the socialnetwork.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations furthercomprise: comparing two or more hardware profiles of the plurality ofhardware profiles corresponding to two or more gamers of the pluralityof gamers; and presenting the two or more hardware profiles that arecompared to a portion of the plurality of members of the social network.9. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:capturing a plurality of comments from the plurality of members of thesocial network; and presenting the plurality of comments at a websitefor access by at least a portion of the plurality of members of thesocial network.
 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the capturing theplurality of comments comprises: capturing comments associated with ahardware profile or with a graphical representation associated with aportion of the hardware statistics.
 11. A non-transitorymachine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, whenexecuted by a processing system including a processor, facilitateperformance of operations, the operations comprising: initiating asocial network including a plurality of members and a plurality ofcomputer devices for operating gaming programs; receiving, from theplurality of computer devices, a plurality of hardware statisticsassociated with a plurality of gamers using the gaming programs, theplurality of hardware statistics including a plurality of substitutedstimulations for the gaming programs, a plurality of gaming results anda plurality of performance factors; combining the plurality of hardwarestatistics and the plurality of performance factors to generate aplurality of hardware profiles that associated with the plurality ofgamers, a respective hardware profile of the plurality of hardwareprofiles associated with a respective gamer of the plurality of gamers;and presenting information about the hardware statistics to the membersof the plurality of members of the social network, wherein a member ofthe plurality of members of the social network is alerted when a gamerof the plurality of gamers achieves one or more specified performancecriteria.
 12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11,wherein the receiving the plurality of hardware statistics comprises:receiving hardware statistics wherein, for each computer device of theplurality of computer devices, the computer device has collected a setof gaming stimulations initiated by a gamer associated with the eachcomputer device, a set of substituted stimulations corresponding to thegaming stimulations, and a set of gaming results, wherein the computerdevice has correlated the set of gaming stimulations and the set ofsubstituted stimulations to a set of gaming results, and the computerdevice has further correlated the set of gaming stimulations, the set ofsubstituted stimulations, and the set of gaming results to generate aset of performance factors.
 13. The non-transitory machine-readablemedium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise: comparingtwo or more hardware profiles of the plurality of hardware profiles;detecting patterns based on the comparing; and associating two or moregamers of the plurality of gamers according to the patterns, wherein theassociating is according to criteria applied to the patterns.
 14. Thenon-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein theoperations further comprise: matching the two or more gamers forparticipation in a session of a gaming application.
 15. Thenon-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein theoperations further comprise: hosting a game play of the gamingapplication comprising the two or more gamers that are matched; andpresenting information about the game play of the gaming application toa portion of the plurality of members of the social network.
 16. Thenon-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein theoperations further comprise: notifying the two or more gamers that thetwo or more gamers are compatible for social networking.
 17. A method,comprising: receiving, by a processing system including a processor,stimulus signals generated by one or more gaming accessory devices of agamer controlling a gaming application; generating, by the processingsystem, gaming stimulations based on the stimulus signals; generating,by the processing system, gaming action results from the gamingapplication responsive to the gaming stimulations; generating, by theprocessing system, hardware statistics associated with the gamer,wherein the hardware statistics comprises information about the gamingaction results and the gaming stimulations; and communicating, by theprocessing system, the hardware statistics associated with the gamer toa social network for presentation to one or members of the socialnetwork.
 18. The method of claim 17, comprising: receiving, by theprocessing system, stimulus signals generated by a gaming accessorydevice; and receiving, by the processing system, substitutedstimulations comprising signals that are substituted for a portion ofthe stimulus signals based on a pre-arranged substitution strategy ofthe gaming accessory device.
 19. The method of claim 18, comprising:correlating, by the processing system, the gaming stimulations and thesubstituted stimulations to a set of gaming results; correlating, by theprocessing system, the gaming stimulations, the substitutedstimulations, and the set of gaming results to generate a set ofperformance factors; and communicating, by the processing system, theset of performance factors to the social network.
 20. The method ofclaim 19, comprising: combining, by the processing system, the set ofperformance factors and the hardware statistics to form a hardwareprofile of the gamer; and communicating, by the processing system, thehardware profile of the gamer to the social network.